Questions and Answers About Your Commute : Studio City Interchange to Be Studied

Dear Traffic Talk:

Why is the interchange of the Ventura and Hollywood freeways at Studio City so strange?

When you travel east on the Ventura Freeway through Studio City you can’t get on the Hollywood Freeway toward San Fernando.

When you’re coming south on the Hollywood Freeway you can’t get on the Ventura Freeway toward Santa Barbara.

And when you travel west on the Ventura Freeway you can’t get on the Hollywood Freeway going south.

Can’t they add some ramps to make this a useful interchange?

Eric Andrist

Burbank

Dear Eric:

The scenario described is accurate and has, in fact, caught the attention of Caltrans engineers, according to Pat Reid, a spokeswoman for the agency.

The agency will begin a study in July 1997 to evaluate alternatives, costs and impacts of adding freeway-to-freeway connector ramps on the Ventura and Hollywood freeways at Studio City, she said.

Reid said there are plans also for a separate but related study that will address the need for high occupancy vehicle connectors for those freeways.

The two studies, which will not be completed until 2000, could end up being combined into one, she said.

Once completed, they could lead to the next step--known as the Project Study Reports--which would then allow the proposed projects to be programmed for funding in future State Transportation Improvement Program documents, she said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

Why are the lane lines so poorly marked on northbound Sepulveda Boulevard after the tunnel?

Tim Powell

Chatsworth

Dear Tim:

Some of the markings on Sepulveda Boulevard after the tunnel are worn out, according to Ray Wellbaum, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Crews will soon repaint some of the lines--including those of a vague bike lane--and clarify directions to aid the safe flow of traffic, Wellbaum said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

On the Foothill Freeway, the Paxton Street on- and offramps have been closed for six months or longer.

I noticed they did some retrofitting work, but what is the holdup?

Does it really take six months to retrofit a freeway, and must they keep all the on- and offramps closed to do it?

Mark Garrett

Pacoima

Dear Mark:

It doesn’t take six months to do the actual seismic retrofitting work, but it does take quite a bit of time to make sure the work is truly capable of holding up the freeway during an earthquake, according to Caltrans.

After beginning the seismic retrofit work on the interchange of the Simi Valley and Foothill freeways, engineers for the agency halted the work in May to allow Caltrans’ Structure Division to examine the quality of the welding on the structures, said Pat Reid, agency spokeswoman.

The inspection is underway, Reid said, and should wind up soon.

Once it is completed, about three weeks of retrofitting work will be left before Paxton Street on- and offramps can be reopened, Reid said.

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